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Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)
Photo: author: see the file page, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 5 countries dwarf shrub

Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Family: Ericaceae

On our map this plant appears in 5 countries and ranks highest in: Kosovo, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Poland.

A low dwarf shrub 15–50 cm tall, with green, angular stems and small, oval leaves that drop for the winter. In spring it bears tiny, urn-shaped, greenish-red flowers, and in summer blue-black berries ripen, with a bluish bloom and dark, staining flesh. It grows on acid soils in conifer and mixed forests, on mountain pastures and among dwarf mountain pine, forming extensive carpets. The berries are rich in anthocyanins and have been used for centuries for digestive complaints and to improve eyesight.

Description from: Kosovo.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Kosovo no. 4 of 5 native

    Gathering wild forest fruit, above all bilberries, along with mushrooms and herbs, is an important part of Kosovo’s agricultural exports.

  2. Finland no. 5 of 10 native

    Finland’s “everyman’s right” (jokamiehenoikeus) allows anyone to pick berries in almost any forest, regardless of who owns it.

  3. Norway no. 8 of 10 native

    Thanks to allemannsretten, anyone may pick berries in Norway’s forests and mountains, and trips to gather blåbær are a favourite family pastime in late summer.

  4. Sweden no. 8 of 10 native

    Under allemansrätten – the right of public access to nature – berries may be picked in Sweden even in private forests, and August outings for blåbär are a family tradition.

  5. Poland no. 10 of 15 native

    Berry-picking is a long-standing summer tradition – bilberry pierogi and jagodzianki, yeast buns filled with bilberries, are among the symbols of the Polish summer.